1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to exercise equipment and more particularly to a handicapped accessible exercise machine that incorporates a number of features to simplify operation for users having limited mobility and/or dexterity.
2. Description of the Related Art
The vast majority of weight training machines that are currently available on the market are designed to accommodate users who possess a full or nearly full range of physical mobility and dexterity. Such machines often incorporate features that require a user to perform intricate manual adjustments to attach and adjust various components, or that require users to position and orient their bodies in tight spaces to accommodate the machines' seating and muscle isolation structures (i.e., benches, backrests, support pads, etc). These features make it difficult, and sometimes impossible, for handicapped users having limited mobility and dexterity to effectively use the machines. For example, a wheelchair-bound paraplegic user may not be able to lift himself onto a bench or move into a cramped space behind the chest pad of a traditional weight machine. Similarly, a user having diminished finger dexterity may have a great deal of difficulty operating conventional spring-loaded locking pins of the type commonly used in weight machines for securing the positions of the machine's adjustable components.
Due to the spatial requirements of a wheelchair and the limited mobility of a wheelchair's occupant, most weight training machines that are designed for wheelchair-bound users feature highly specialized structures and configurations. The components of such machines must be specially positioned and oriented for accommodating the size and shape of the wheelchair and the seated position of the user, while at the same time isolating the user's muscles in an effective manner. The result of this high degree of specialization is that conventional “wheelchair friendly” machines have traditionally exhibited a lack of versatility. Most of these machines are very large and very expensive, but are only capable of facilitating a single type of exercise. A wheelchair-bound individual must therefore use a variety of different specialized machines to perform a complete workout. Moreover, most weight machines that are designed for accommodating wheelchairs are poorly suited for users who do not use wheelchairs. Therefore, in order for a training facility to provide a complete array of wheelchair friendly equipment, the facility must spend a great deal of money and allocate a great deal of floor space to purchase and accommodate a plurality of machines that are largely unusable by the non-wheelchair-bound majority of its clientele. Such an investment is not economically practical for most facilities, thus leaving wheelchair-bound individuals with limited and ill-suited options for weight training.
It is therefore desirable to have a weight training machine that can be easily and effectively used by handicapped individuals and non-handicapped individuals alike that is able to facilitate a wide variety of different exercises.